Question 1

Why is the question tag just değil mi instead of matching the English "aren't they"?

Accepted Answer

In Turkish, değil mi? is an invariable tag used to ask for confirmation, much like saying "right?" or "isn't that so?" in English. Unlike English, where the tag changes based on the pronoun and tense (e.g., "isn't it?", "aren't they?", "didn't we?"), değil mi? stays exactly the same no matter what the subject of your sentence is.

Question 2

The English translation says "These... beads," but Bu and tespih are singular. Why aren't they plural in Turkish?

Accepted Answer

In English, "prayer beads" is grammatically plural. However, in Turkish, a tespih is thought of as a single item (a single string or loop of beads). Because the noun is singular, it takes the singular demonstrative adjective bu (this) rather than the plural bunlar (these).

Question 3

How is the word değerli (valuable) formed?

Accepted Answer

It is built from the noun değer, which means "value" or "worth". By adding the suffix -li—a very common suffix that means "having" or "containing"—it turns into the adjective değerli (literally "having value", or "valuable").

Question 4

Where is the verb for "are" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In the present tense, Turkish often completely drops the "to be" verb for the third person (he/she/it/they). You simply place the subject (Bu eski tespih) and the adjective (çok değerli) side by side. You could technically add the factual/formal ending -dir (değerlidir), but it is perfectly natural and more common to leave it off in everyday conversation.

Bu eski tespih çok değerli, değil mi?

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